Online conference Online Conference on the ‘’ Uzbekistan and Pakistan Partnership: The Perspective for Multidimensional Interaction” organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS)

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Furqat A. Sidikov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Republic of Uzbekistan has said bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan was excellent. He stated that Afghanistan situation has direct spill-over impacts on Pakistan and Uzbekistan being neighboring countries. Therefore, regional countries must cooperate to find solution of Afghanistan crisis.

He expressed these views during an online conference Online Conference on the ‘’ Uzbekistan and Pakistan Partnership: The Perspective for Multidimensional Interaction” organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad with the collaboration of the Information and Analytical Centre for International Relations (IACIR), Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad, Pakistan was the moderator of the online conference.

Furqat A. Sidikov also highlighted the trade and economic turn over between Uzbekistan and Pakistan that has been increasing since last 3 to 4 years. He suggested that it is significant to promote peace and stability in the region for enhanced economic trade and get access to Pakistan’s Gwadar port which is crucial for economic connectivity for CARs.

Aybek A. Usmanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan gave the welcoming remarks. He welcomed all the participants and speakers to the online conference. He appreciated efforts of CGSS for being a major stakeholder in enhancing bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Aybek A. Usmanov also discussed the grand initiative of Central and South Asia regional connectivity. He stated that prospects for multilateral cooperation are high in which peace in Afghanistan is an important factor.

Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery HI(M), (Retd), President, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad shared his expert analysis that cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan is interlinked with Afghanistan. He discussed in detail about the recent situation of Afghanistan. While enlightening the audience, Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery HI(M), (Retd) stated that Central and South Asian connectivity is important to enhance economic potentials. In this regard, CARs can benefit from CPEC. He suggested that all regional countries must join hands and move towards economic connectivity for long-term stability and peace in the region.

Lt. General Khalid Naeem Lodhi, HI (M), (Retd), Former Federal Defence Minister of Pakistan expressed his views on Emerging Realities in International political system: U.S. Policy towards South, Central and west Asia. He stated that geopolitics cannot be separated from geo-economics and geostrategic factors. All these factors are interconnected. He discussed that emerging realities of the world are contested and interlinked. For example, China has been trying to enhance its influence through economic ideology and cooperation. Unlike U.S. who always try to use multiple tools to maintain its dominance and political ideologies over others. Lt. General Khalid Naeem Lodhi, HI (M), (Retd), highlighted major important tools, i.e., economic, strategic and hybridthat the superpowers use to gain their interest. While concluding speech, he suggested that all regional countries must cooperate with each other to find ways to create peaceful and powerful region.

Dr. Donyar Qurbanov, Director, Information and Analytical Centre for International Relations (IACIR), Tashkent, Uzbekistan enlightened the audience with his analysis on the ongoing Afghan situation. He stated that Taliban zone has been increasing that will create refuge crisis, and humanitarian issues for the Kabul regime. He suggested that Taliban and Kabul government must reach to a compromise to eradicate existing gap. He also stated that there is growing need to increase interactions between Afghanistan’s neighbor. In this regard, a strong policy framework would be an additional force to bring peace to the region.  He also highlighted prospects for enhancedbilateral ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Ahmer Bilal Soofi, Former Federal Law Minister of Pakistan gave speech on Current Situation and Future legal Parameters and options for Pakistan and Uzbekistan.  Ahmer Bilal Soofi stated possible ways to enhance cooperation between the two nations, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. In this aspect, he provided options to implement on the legal existing agreements and MoUs between both countries. He discussed that there is a need to take advantage by existing legal bridges and agreements that would open avenues for joint ventures. He suggested that we have to be specific in order to encourage and protect the private business and entrepreneurs of Pakistan and Uzbekistan. In this aspect, best plan of action is to enhance connectivity through economic planning.

Prof. Dr. Shabir Ahmad Khan, Director, Area Study Centre (Russia China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar shared his expert opinion on Implications of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Challenges and Options for Pakistan. He stated that if Afghanistan’s conflict is increased it will have massive spill-over on the neighboring countries in the form of drug trafficking, violence and refuge crises. He expressed his views that there is a regional consensus to bring peace in Afghanistan. Therefore, all regional countries must devise a plan to eradicate issues with the continuity of global assistance. He also stated that there is a need that different ethnic factions and groups in Afghanistan must be engaged through Loya Jirga to create peace and reach towards a consensus.  He highlighted prospects for Central and South Asian regional connectivity in that he also appreciated the recently held international conference on Central-South Asian connectivity hosted by Uzbekistan to have constructive implications on the region. 

At the end of the discussion, an interactive session was also held amongst the participants of the Conference.